Waxahachie, TX – SAGU Men's Basketball has advanced to the final game of the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Opening Round. They will face the highly rated No. 3 seed, Montana Tech of Butte, Montana. The winner will advance to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Final Site in Kansas, Missouri with hopes to continue their title run. The Lions will face the Orediggers today at 5:30 PM in the Sheaffer Center Arena. Though SAGU will be in their home gym, they will be considered the visiting team because Montana Tech has the No. 3 seed while the Lions have the No. 6 seed.
 
Live coverage of the game will be provided at the links below. The SAGU Sports Network will broadcast the game free of charge. The broadcast will be available on the SAGU Sports Network's YouTube, Facebook, and Livestream page. Live statistics will also be made available for each game.
 
Saturday, March 12
 
5:30 PM – No. 6 SAGU vs. No. 3 Montana Tech
 
Live Stats
 
SAGU Sports Network Broadcast
 
Tickets are available to purchase online at the link below.
 
SAGU Athletic Ticketing
 
The cost of entry for the game will be $10 and family passes will also be available for purchase for families of three or more. Each family pass will be $25. All SAGU students, faculty, and staff will be granted free admission into the games.
 
SAGU Head Coach Delton Deal
 
Fifth Season with SAGU
Current 2021-22 record: 23-8
Career Record: 241-128
SAGU Record: 104-40
Sooner Athletic Regular Season Champion (2020-21)
Sooner Athletic Tournament Champion (2019-20)
Sooner Athletic Tournament Champion (2017-18)
NAIA National Tournament Fab Four (2020-21)
Three Current NAIA All-Americans – Joshua Kashila, Nykolas Mason, Joel Polius
 
Coach Deal has been at the helm of the SAGU Men's Basketball program since 2017. During his time with SAGU he has amassed a record of 104-40, and during the 2020-21 season he took SAGU to the NAIA National Tournament Fab Four for the second time in program history. Coach Deal is currently coaching three NAIA All-Americans at SAGU, which include Joshua Kashila, Nykolas Mason, and Joel Polius. In 2019-20, he led the Lions to a SAC Tournament title, and in 2020-21 SAGU was crowned the SAC regular season champions. Before coming to SAGU, Coach Deal spent seven years as the head coach at York College where he led his team to the NAIA Division II tournament three times. In 2016, the Panthers made it to the round of eight in the National Tournament. Upon taking over York College in 2010, the Panthers had only one winning season in school history. Coach Deal led York to seven consecutive winning seasons. Before York College, Deal coached at Bethesda Christian School in Fort Worth, Texas. Over his four years at Bethesda, he had a 97-28 record. In 2007, he won the TAPPS 3A State Championship and was named the State Coach of the Year. Coach Deal currently has a collegiate record of 240-128.
 
Montana Tech Head Coach Adam Hiatt
 
Sixth-year head coach Adam Hiatt is leading the Orediggers to their first trip to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship since 1999. Coach Hiatt is familiar with the post season from his last head job at Westminster College. Hiatt led Westminster to the tournament in 2013-14 when the Griffins lost to Benedictine (Kan.) 70-65 in the first round.
 
SAGU's Impact Players
 
Senior combo guard Nykolas Mason was selected as first team all-conference for the 2021-22 season. The 6'6, Frisco, Texas, product was selected first team all-conference after averaging 18.7 points per game, which was good enough for second in the SAC only behind the SAC player of the year Cameron Hines. Mason also ranked second in the SAC in field goal percentage as he shot 55% from the floor throughout the year. Mason had a game high 32 points against No. 10 Science and Arts on November 20 where he sunk a layup and a free throw with just seven seconds left to overtake the Drovers 91-88.
 
Senior guard Joshua Kashila was selected as first team all-conference for the 2021-22 season. The 6'3, Angola, Luanda, product was selected first team all-conference after averaging 15.7 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and 3.4 assists per game; he also had a 41% field goal percentage throughout the year. Kashila ranked in the top eleven of the conference for all four categories. He had a game high 30 points on October 28 in the season opener against Dallas Christian College.
 
Senior guard Isaiah Boling was honored with the Sooner Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award for the first time in his career during the 2021-22 campaign; he was also named as an honorable mention all-conference player. The 6'3, Van Alstyne, Texas, product was the third most prolific scorer for the Lions, averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three. On the year, he made 51 three pointers and averaged 2.2 three pointers made per game to lead the Lions. He also dished out the third-most assists on the squad with 56. As a senior and captain, Boling led SAGU both on and off the court.
 
Finally, senior forward Nathan Bailey was selected to be on the all-defensive team for the 2021-22 season. Bailey led a SAGU defense that ranked third in the conference in steals per game with 8.52, second in rebounds per game with 40.4, and third in defensive rebounds per game with 29.1. Bailey himself pulled in 85 defensive rebounds on the year, averaging 5.8 rebounds per game and added 28 steals and 9 blocks on the year.
 
2021-22 SAGU Season Stats
 
Montana Tech's Impact Players
 
Three-time first team all-conference guard Sindou Diallo and four-time all-conference selection Taylor England leads the Orediggers into the post season. Diallo leads the Orediggers in scoring this season averaging 16.1 points a game and England led the team in rebounding grabbing 7.1 boards a contest. Diallo was selected first team all-conference, and England was a second team selection.
 
All of the hard work paid off for senior Derrius Collins this year earning Frontier Defensive Player of the Year. Collins draws the tough matchups holding his opponent in check. The Missoula native averaged 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals this season. Collins also has the clutch deep shot averaging 6.8 points and a 41.5% clip from three.
 
Sophomore Caleb Bellach transferred from Montana State in the offseason and made an immediate impact. Bellach was named the Frontier Newcomer of the Year this season averaging 15 points a game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 39.1% from three. Bellach was also selected first team all-conference this season.
 
Freshman guard Keeley Bake was named the Sixth Man of the Year by the Frontier Conference. Bake was the spark off the bench this season averaging 6.7 points a game while shooting 44.1% from the field and 38.6% from long. Bake was a critical presence in the second half for the Orediggers this season. 
 
The winner of the SAGU vs. Montana Tech final opening round game will advance to the 2022 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Final Site in Kansas City, Missouri, at the 84^th annual NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship, March 17-22. For more information on the national championship, click here.
 
To see the national opening round schedule and results, click here.

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As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community. We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service. Most majors are available in-person in Waxahachie, TX, and online through a wide range of associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.